Excerpt from report by Associate Professor Peter Sykes
Published October 25, 2019
The five-year survival rates for Christchurch women with advanced ovarian cancer haven’t improved in 10 years, according to a study comparing women diagnosed with advanced ovarian cancer between 2000-2001 and 2010-2012.
Other developed countries like Australia, USA, Denmark and Norway have improved their five-year survival rate since the start of the century, whereas across all stages of ovarian cancer, New Zealand’s survival rate has improved less but is similar to that seen in the UK.
While we believe more women have access to specialist care, more research is required to determine the modifiable issues that are associated with poor outcomes. These may include late diagnosis, access to surgery, access to effective drugs and treatment for recurrence.
OCFNZ started as Cure Our Ovarian Cancer in 2018, with a focus on low-grade serous ovarian cancer. In 2020, we expanded our focus to include all ovarian cancer and, in 2024, we changed our name to the Ovarian Cancer Foundation New Zealand.
